AL East Notes: Ross, Yankees, Orioles
The Blue Jays aren’t going to rush their managerial search, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reported yesterday. Here’s the latest on the rest of the AL East, on the day before the GM Meetings begin in California…
- The Red Sox don’t want to offer Cody Ross a three-year deal, which could be a stumbling block in contract discussions, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports. Ross appears to be seeking a three-year contract in the $25MM range. Some teams appear to have interest in committing to Ross on a three-year deal, Bradford reports.
- Agents say the Yankees are approaching free agency slowly, Jayson Stark of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). New York appears to be waiting for the upcoming GM Meetings and to see if a free agent such as Rafael Soriano or Nick Swisher accepts a qualifying offer. Soriano, Swisher and Hiroki Kuroda have until Friday to accept or decline the Yankees’ offers.
- Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com looks ahead to determine which players might fit on the Orioles' bench in 2013. Taylor Teagarden, Nolan Reimold, Wilson Betemit and Ryan Flaherty will likely be among the players competing for reserve roles on the Baltimore roster next year.
- In case you missed it, the Red Sox are interested in Torii Hunter.
Red Sox Interested In Torii Hunter
The Red Sox have shown interest in Torii Hunter, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports. Hunter, a free agent, has previously expressed interest in playing in Boston alongside David Ortiz.
"I'm open to anybody, especially if David is there," Hunter told WEEI.com in late August. "David is one of my guys. We were roommates in Minnesota and he's one of my brothers.”
Ortiz, who recently signed a two-year, $26MM contract with the Red Sox, said yesterday that he had been in contact with Hunter about the possibility of signing in Boston. Hunter did not obtain a qualifying offer from the Angels last week, which means teams won’t have to surrender a top draft choice to sign him. While the Angels aren’t ruling out a new deal with Hunter, it doesn’t sound as though he’ll re-sign in Anaheim.
Hunter, a client of Reynolds Sports Management, ranked 20th on MLBTR's list of top 50 free agents. The Yankees also have some interest in the right fielder.
Yankees Claim Eli Whiteside
The Yankees announced that they claimed catcher Eli Whiteside off of waivers from the Giants.
Whiteside appeared in 12 games with the Giants this past season and played another 60 contests with San Francisco's Triple-A affiliate. In parts of five seasons at the MLB level, the 33-year-old has a .215/.273/.335 batting line. Whiteside, a right-handed hitter, became San Francisco's primary catcher in 2011 after Buster Posey went on the disabled list. He's arbitration eligible with a projected 2013 salary of $600K.
Quick Hits: Dickey, White Sox, Pence
MLB executives are fascinated by many of the same questions that preoccupy fans, so ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick checked in with a variety of baseball officials to get their thoughts on some offseason issues. The execs prefer Michael Bourn to B.J. Upton and they expect Zack Greinke to re-sign with the Angels. Here are today's links…
- R.A. Dickey could draw interest from ten or more teams if the Mets make him available in trades this offseason, rival executives tell Andy Martino of the New York Daily News.
- White Sox GM Rick Hahn expects to hear from many teams interested in acquiring some of Chicago’s starting pitching depth, Dan Hayes of CSNChicago.com reports. “We will absolutely listen on any ideas and trades will be one of the avenues we pursue to potentially fill some of our holes,” Hahn said. Gavin Floyd could be among the pitchers drawing trade interest this year, Hayes writes.
- The Giants aren’t going to non-tender Hunter Pence, even though he’ll cost $13-14MM as an arbitration eligible player, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). MLBTR projects a $13.8MM salary for Pence in 2013.
- Tim Britton of the Providence Journal analyzes the first base market to determine some possible fits for the Red Sox.
- Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com suggests it wouldn't make sense for the Rangers to offer Josh Hamilton more than three guaranteed years with a vesting option for a fourth year. It doesn't sound as though that'll be enough to sign Hamilton, despite the questions surrounding his ability to stay healthy.
Brewers Sign Jairo Asencio
The Brewers announced that they signed right-hander Jairo Asencio to a minor league deal that includes an invitation to Spring Training. Praver/Shapiro represents the reliever.
Asencio spent this past season pitching for the Indians and Cubs. He posted a 4.91 ERA with 6.5 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9 in 40 1/3 innings out of the bullpen. The Indians purchased him from the Braves this March and the Cubs claimed him off of waivers two months later.
Offseason Outlook: Oakland Athletics
The A’s must address the left side of their infield this offseason.
Guaranteed Contracts
- Yoenis Cespedes, OF: $29.5MM through 2015
- Chris Young, OF: $10.2MM through 2013
- Coco Crisp, OF: $8MM through 2013
- Brett Anderson, SP: $7MM through 2013
- Grant Balfour, RP: $4.5MM through 2013
- Bartolo Colon, SP: $3MM through 2013
Arbitration Eligible Players (estimated salaries)
- Pat Neshek, RP: $900K (third time eligible)
- Seth Smith, OF: $3.3MM (second time eligible)
- George Kottaras, C: $1.1MM (second time eligible)
- Daric Barton, 1B: $1.1MM (second time eligible, non-tender candidate)
- Adam Rosales, IF: $700K (second time eligible, non-tender candidate)
- Brandon Moss, OF: $1.4MM (first time eligible)
- Jerry Blevins, RP: $1MM (first time eligible)
Free Agents
Back in Spring Training, when fans, writers and analysts were compiling lists of offseason winners, the A’s weren’t mentioned nearly as often as teams like the Marlins and Angels. As it turns out, GM Billy Beane did just fine last winter. The A’s won their division in 2012, improving their record by 20 games and establishing themselves as a contender in the American League.
As the 2012-13 offseason approaches, Beane finds himself facing some familiar challenges. The Athletics’ future in Oakland remains unclear and their payroll remains modest. Plus, Oakland needs answers on the left side of the infield to repeat as AL West winners in 2013.
Beane started making offseason moves early, sending Cliff Pennington to Arizona in the deal that brought Chris Young to Oakland. This move makes lots of sense for Oakland, since they obtain an up-the-middle player with some offensive skills. That said, it didn’t address any of the Athletics’ primary offseason needs — in fact it heightened the team’s need for a shortstop.
The primary challenge for Beane this winter appears to be finding a shortstop. Now that Stephen Drew has hit free agency, there are no guarantees he’ll return. If the scarcity of free agent shortstops leads to a bidding war for Drew’s services, it’s hard to imagine the A’s winning. And even if Oakland does outbid other interested teams, Drew could spurn them for another city. It wouldn’t be the first time a free agent position player has resisted overtures from Beane & Co.
This year's free agent shortstop class doesn't include standout players besides Drew and former Athletics infielder Marco Scutaro. At this point it seems likely that Scutaro will re-sign across the bay in San Francisco, which means Beane must also explore the trade market.
Acquiring Elvis Andrus from the Rangers won’t be easy for any team, especially one that recently unseated Texas atop the AL West. Yunel Escobar figures to be available, and Jhonny Peralta could be moved. I think it also makes sense for the A’s to inquire about players such as Jed Lowrie, Josh Rutledge, Asdrubal Cabrera and — why not? — Jose Reyes.
While Beane recently expressed confidence in Josh Donaldson as a long-term option at third base, the A's could consider going outside of the organization at the position. Donaldson, a converted catcher, has a .232/.280/.386 batting line at the MLB level, so the A's must be realistic about what he can offer to be sure they're not looking for third basemen midway through the 2013 season. It's hard to imagine the A's trading for any of the prominent, high-salaried third basemen who could become available this offseason. Instead, they should watch the Cardinals on the off-chance Matt Carpenter becomes available. The left-handed hitting 26-year-old could complement the right-handed hitting Donaldson and provide Oakland with depth.
When the A’s engage other teams in trade talk this offseason, the topic of Oakland’s outfield depth will surely arise. However, Beane maintains that he's not looking to make a trade, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. The A's have four outfielders for three spots, and that’s not counting designated hitter Seth Smith or first baseman Brandon Moss. Coco Crisp could appeal to teams such as the Mets, Indians and Orioles. Or Beane could do what he did last offseason and trade highly-regarded, controllable players such as Josh Reddick or Yoenis Cespedes. At this point it’s easiest to envision a deal involving Crisp. Bay Area native Jonny Gomes figures to sign elsewhere in free agency given the composition of Oakland's roster.
Assuming the A’s expect some combination of Scott Sizemore and Jemile Weeks to handle second in 2013, they have solid internal options at every position except shortstop and third base. The pitching staff also seems strong, though more depth never hurts.
Beane already signed Bartolo Colon to a one-year contract — a depth move that makes sense considering the reality that injuries strike every year. The A’s say they’re still interested in re-signing Brandon McCarthy, even after agreeing to terms with Colon. While that may well be true, McCarthy could become prohibitively expensive if rival teams overlook his health issues and offer multiyear deals. It's not easy to win bidding wars with one of the league's smallest payrolls.
Oakland exercised Grant Balfour’s 2013 option, so the Australian right-hander will be back for another season. Ryan Cook, Jerry Blevins, Jordan Norberto and Sean Doolittle will return to what projects as an above-average bullpen for 2013. The A’s won’t have to spend on free agent relievers the way they did two winters ago, at the time they signed Balfour and Brian Fuentes.
The team's class of arbitration eligible players includes two players — Daric Barton and Adam Rosales — who could be non-tendered. There's also a chance Beane could complete a trade involving Barton, who led the American League in walks two years ago. Though the group doesn't include any clear extension candidates, the A's could explore multiyear deals with pre-arbitration eligible players. They've made a habit of extending starting pitchers early on, so Tommy Milone or Jarrod Parker could be next.
The A's might not be any closer to resolving big picture questions about their home city and stadium, but at least their roster seems strong. It lacks balance now, with questions on the infield and an abundance of outfielders. Expect Beane to restore some balance in the months ahead.
Photo courtesy of US Presswire.
Twins To Sign Deduno, Vasquez
The Twins have agreed to sign Sam Deduno and Esmerling Vasquez to minor league contracts, Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. Both pitchers were outrighted off of Minnesota's 40-man roster in recent weeks.
Deduno, 29, started 15 games for the Twins this past season, posting a 4.44 ERA with 6.5 K/9 and 6.0 BB/9 in 79 innings. The right-hander also has some MLB experience with the Rockies and Padres. Vasquez, 28, started six games for the Twins in 2012, posting a 5.68 ERA with 4.0 K/9 and 5.4 BB/9 in 31 2/3 innings. The Twins claimed him off of waivers from Arizona in September of 2011.
Issues Ongoing For Kinzer, WMG
Wasserman Media Group no longer employs Paul Kinzer, but there are still unresolved issues between the agent and the firm he used to work for, Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal reports. A battle over Kinzer’s roster of clients could be beginning, according to Mullen. There could be a future legal struggle over issues such as fees, though Kinzer’s client list remains unchanged as of now.
“All my players are still with me,” Kinzer told Mullen.
The agent represents players including Starlin Castro, Alex Rios, Geovany Soto, Aramis Ramirez and Rafael Furcal. Kinzer could open a new firm with his son, MLB agent Kelly Kinzer, or start another agency, Mullen writes.
Kinzer left WMG after the agency had to pay a $2MM settlement to Francisco Rodriguez. Kinzer had not filed the reliever's no-trade list before the 2011 season.
Jeremy Hellickson Drawing Trade Interest
Rays right-hander Jeremy Hellickson is drawing more trade interest than any other member of the Tampa Bay rotation, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. There’s been lots of speculation surrounding James Shields, but it’s Hellickson who has been most popular in the early going of the offseason. Talks are expected to continue at the GM Meetings in California later this week, Heyman writes.
Hellickson, 25, just completed his second full season at the MLB level. He posted a 3.10 ERA with 6.4 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 177 innings over the course of 31 starts. The 2011 Rookie of the Year won't be arbitration eligible until after the 2013 season and he'll remain under team control through 2016. Agent Scott Boras represents Hellickson, an indication that agreeing to a long-term extension could be challenging.
Both Hellickson and Shields drew interest at the 2012 trade deadline. The Padres, Angels, Dodgers, Twins, Royals and Blue Jays are among the many teams seeking starting pitching this offseason.
Olney On Hunter, Pagan, Padres
MLB executives expressed surprise that Torii Hunter, Edwin Jackson, Angel Pagan and Mike Napoli didn’t get qualifying offers by Friday’s deadline, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports. Here are more notes and rumors from Olney…
- One high-ranking executive suggested Hunter will get some two or three-year offers as a free agent. The outfielder ranked 20th on MLBTR's list of top 50 free agents.
- Evaluators were puzzled by the Nationals’ decision not to make Jackson a qualifying offer. An offer would have set them up for draft pick compensation or another affordable one-year deal.
- GMs and agents expect Pagan to get multiple offers for three years. A four or five-year deal doesn’t seem out of reach for the center fielder.
- Some rival officials expected the Rangers to make Napoli a one-year qualifying offer and set themselves up for draft pick compensation.
- Brad Ausmus, one of the top managerial prospects in MLB, told Olney that it’s important for managers to remember how difficult it is to play at the highest level. “The managers who understood the patience involved are the managers who have related to the players best on teams I have been a part of, and garnered their respect,” Ausmus said.
- The Padres have had some extension talks with Chase Headley, Olney reports. While both sides are interested in a deal, it’s hard to value Headley following his impressive second half performance.
- The Padres will focus on adding starting pitching this offseason, Olney reports. Rival executives like San Diego’s pitching depth, but GM Josh Byrnes will still pursue additions.